Heidy Yelní Díaz Oviedo
Universidad Veracruzana, Mexico
Heidy Yelní Díaz Oviedo is an English teacher with a PhD in Education and a background in English Language Teaching from Universidad Veracruzana (UV). Her work focuses on learner autonomy, internationalization, and intercultural perspectives in higher education, and explores technology as a bridge that fosters connection, collaboration, and global learning across cultures and educational contexts. She has conducted comparative research with students from Mexico, Spain, and Honduras, advancing understanding of English learning processes across diverse contexts. She actively promotes internationalization through Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL), leading projects with partners in Japan, Spain, Israel, Honduras, Argentina, and Colombia. Her work integrates digital technologies, virtual exchange, and innovative pedagogies to foster global competencies. She is currently a Candidate Researcher in Mexico’s National System of Researchers (SNII).
“Behind every COIL experience is a professor willing to guide students beyond borders and into transformation.”
Project #1 Information
Project Name: Writing Academic Essays: A Guide for University Students
Partner: Nelson Eduardo Corea, Universidad Auntónoma de Honduras (Honduras)
Project Length: 8 weeks
Modality: Synchronous & Asynchronous
Technology Tools Utilized: Zoom, WhatsApp, Canva
UN Sustainable Development Goals: Quality Education
Project Summary:
The COIL course “Writing Academic Essays: A Guide for University Students” aims to enhance students’ writing skills through collaborative online learning experiences. This COIL will bring together students from the Universidad Veracruzana and the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Honduras to explore the intricacies of academic writing, including essay structure, introductions, body paragraphs, conclusions, and practical research techniques. Students will engage in peer review, participate in joint online workshops, and co-create resources that demystify the academic writing process for university didactic materials. Through collaborative assignments and discussions, participants will develop a global perspective on writing and learn to appreciate diverse academic conventions. The COIL is designed to foster critical thinking, enhance writing proficiency, and build cross-cultural communication skills among students.
Learning Outcomes:
- Demonstrate understanding of the components of a well-structured academic essay.
- Write the four main academic types of essays as a guide for university students.
Project #2 Information
Project Name: English to the World: Communicating Global Concerns to International Organizations
Partner: Prof. Juan Manuel Castro Carracedo, Universidad Pontificia de Salamanca (España)
Project Length: 4 weeks
Modality: Synchronous & Asynchronous
Technology Tools Utilized: Zoom, Padlet, Canva, WhatsApp, Email
UN Sustainable Development Goals: Good Health and Well-Being; Quality Education
Project Summary:
Developing productive skills in English language learning through knowledge of different subjects may be more effective than direct teaching of linguistic aspects in the classroom. Multicultural involvement of activities with peers in foreign countries also contributes to the improvement of linguistic knowledge. This collaborative course aims to improve the English language proficiency of the students, exploiting the multidisciplinary backgrounds of both groups of students and promoting the exchange of cultural experiences between the two participating countries.
Learning Outcomes:
- By the end of the COIL project, students will be able to write an academic paper among different genres suitable to be addressed to international readers in formal institutional contexts.
- By the end of the COIL project, students will be able to describe, analyze and compare effectively elements of their own culture, both orally and in writing, to members of another culture.
Project #3 Information
Project Name: Navigating Trade Agreements: MERCOSUR and T-MEC
Partner: Andrea Isabel Alsina Alvarenga, Universidad Católica de Salta en Argentina (Argentina)
Project Length: 4 weeks
Modality: Asynchronous
Technology Tools Utilized: Insitution Plaform, whatsapp, email, Zoom, Canva
UN Sustainable Development Goals: Decent Work and Economic Growth
Project Summary:
This COIL promotes global and intercultural competencies through the analysis of regionalization and integration processes in Mexico and Argentina, focusing on the USMCA (T-MEC) and MERCOSUR. Students will compare the two agreements, expand their English academic vocabulary, and collaboratively explain key concepts related to trade, integration, and economic development.
Learning Outcomes:
- Apply new academic vocabulary and grammatical structures corresponding to the Intermediate English 100 course in oral and written communication.
- Compare the characteristics and impacts of the USMCA (T-MEC) and MERCOSUR within the context of regional economic integration.